Effect of Dietary Incorporation of Fermented Fish Silage on the Performance of Broiler Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding fermented fish silage (FFS) on performance, carcass traits and economics of production of Japanese quails. Seven-day old broiler Japanese quail chicks (n=192) of either sex were randomly distributed into four dietary groups with four replicates in each group of 12 chicks in each pen and raised in deep litter system for five weeks under uniform management conditions. The dietary treatments were: control diet alone without FFS (CON) or with 5 (FFS5), 10 (FFS-10) and 15 (FFS-15) percent FFS. All the birds were fed isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous diets during the experimental period. Group BW and feed consumption were recorded at weekly intervals and FCR was calculated. At the end of the experiment, eight birds from each treatment were selected randomly to study the carcass traits. The BW gain and FCR of broiler Japanese quails fed FFS-5 diet was found to be similar to that of control group. Higher levels of FFS inclusion, beyond 5%, significantly (P<0.05) reduced the BW gain of birds; however, the FCR remained unaffected. Carcass traits were not influenced due to dietary incorporation of FFS. The cost of production of broiler Japanese quail chicks was found to be similar between FFS-5 and FFS-10 diets, being lower than that of either control or FFS-15 diet. Dietary inclusion of 5% FFS reduced the cost of production by H 12.87 per kg LW gain. It is concluded that FFS can be incorporated at 5% level in the diet of broiler Japanese quails for optimum performance and economic quail production.